Automatic rhythm instrument with temporary roll beat circuit

ABSTRACT

An automatic rhythm instrument comprises, as a conventional construction, counter stages, rhythm pattern pulse encoding matrix, rhythm selector switches and rhythm sound sources; and as an additional construction, a temporary roll beat circuit including switches directly connecting between the counter stages and the rhythm sound sources. The instrument enables the various rhythm sound sources to be triggered not only by various sets of previously determined ordinary rhythm pattern pulses, but also by any of a plurality of repetitive pulse trains each having a predetermined frequency or time width which are used as temporary roll beat performance.

United States Patent [1 1 Glramoto July 3, 1973 AUTOMATIC RHYTHM INSTRUMENT 3,518,352 6/1970 Plunkett 84/124 X W TEMPORARY ROLL BEAT CIRCUIT 3,649,736 3/1972 Van Der Kooij 84/ 1.03

Inventor: Shimaji Okamoto, l-lamamatsu-shi,

Shizuoka-ken, Japan [73] Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha, Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka-ken, Japan [22] Filed: Oct. 11, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 296,600

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. I8, 1971 Japan 46/82356 [52] U.S. Cl. 84/l.03, 84/l.24;DIG. 12 [51] Int. Cl G10f l/00 [58] Field of Search 84/103, 1124, DIG. 12

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,358,068 12/1967 Campbell 84/103 X Attorney-Robert D. Flynn: lleonardl-l olti et al.

[5 7] ABSTRACT An automatic rhythm instrument comprises, as a conventional construction, counter stages, rhythm pattern pulse encoding matrix, rhythm selector switches and rhythm sound sources; and as an additional construction, a temporary roll beat circuit including switches directly connecting between the counter stages and the rhythm sound sources. The instrument enables the various rhythm sound sources to be triggered not only by various sets of previously determined ordinary rhythm pattern pulses, but also by any of a plurality of repetitive pulse trains each having a predetermined frequency or time width which are used as temporary roll beat performance.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures AUTOMATIC RHYTHM INSTRUMENT WITH TEMPORARY ROLL BEAT CIRCUIT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an automatic rhythm instrument and more particularly to a novel type of such instrument newly provided with a temporary roll beat performance.

Automatic rhythm instruments heretofore put to practical application are generally provided with a clock pulse oscillator for generating a repetitive basic tempo pulse train having a frequency or time width corresponding to the shortest beat unit (generally, a quaver or semiquaver) for the various rhythm tempos, the oscillator being further followed by a multistage frequency dividing counter chain.

According to the conventional automatic rhythm instrument, a basic tempo pulse train from the clock pulse oscillator is divided in frequency by counter stages exhibiting binary output pulses from the various stages of the counter chain. The pulse trains are conducted through the known rhythm pattern forming circuit including a diode matrix circuit to generate various sets of rhythm pattern pulses such as those of the march, rumba and tango.

The prior art automatic rhythm instrument is only designed to produce sounds derived from various percussion instruments, for example, cymbals, maracas and claves, or ordinary chord or bass sounds or combinations thereof in exact timing with tempos of any desired one or more of the aforesaid rhythm pattern pulses.

The object of this invention is to provide an automatic rhythm instrument capable of effecting a rhythmic performance of far greater variety than has been possible with the conventional rhythm instrument.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An automatic rhythm instrument according to a preferred embodiment of this invention is characterized in that it is so designed as to drive its various rhythm sound sources by any desired one of a plurality of repetitive pulse trains each having a predetermined frequency or time width which are used in encoding vari ous sets of rhythm pattern pulses.

An automatic'rhythm instrument of the aforementioned arrangement has the advantage of effecting a performance of far greater variety than the conventional automatic rhythm instrument which is so arranged as to cause its rhythm sound sources to be energized only by the above-mentioned various sets of ordinary rhythm pattern pulses.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram of an automatic rhythm instrument according to an embodiment of this invention; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic circuit diagram of a modification of the rhythm instrument.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 denotes a clock pulse oscillator of free-running oscillation type such as an astable multivibrator provided, for example, with a frequency control element 12. The clock oscillator 11 is so adapted as to generate a repetitive basic clock pulse train having a frequency or time width corresponding to the shortest beat unit (e.g., a semiquaver) required to produce the later described various sets of rhythm pattern pulses. Output pulses from the clock oscillator 11 are conducted to a multistage frequency dividing counter chain 13, which comprises, in this example, four stage binary circuits (flipflop circuits) 13,, 13,, 13 and 13,, cascade connected such that the output line of each stage is connected to the input line of the immediately following stage. These binary circuits 13, to 13,, are operated with frequencies corresponding to k, A, if; and one sixteenth of those of output pulses from the clock pulse oscillator 11 (namely, 2-, 4-, 8-, l6-times length periods) and are respectively provided with two output lines afi, b- F, c-E and d-Z so as to produce two output pulses corresponding to the binary ONE and ZERO which are different by in phase. The output pulses from the binary circuits 13, to 13 are conducted into a rhythm pattern pulse encoder 14 of the later described arrangement to be converted into various types of rhythm pattern pulse trains such as for waltz, march and rumba.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, the rhythm pattern pulse encoder 14 is provided with diode matrix connected to respective two output lines of the respective binary counters 13, to 13,, and with AND logics and OR logics as is known in this field.

Various sets of rhythm pattern pulse trains obtained from the rhythm pattern pulse encoder 14 of the abovementioned arrangement pass through the corresponding normally closed switches SW, to SW provided, if required, and a rhythm selector switches 15 selectively operated by a player prior to performance, so as to be supplied as trigger signals to the preselected ones of a plurality of rhythm sound sources R, to R, such as those of the cymbals, maracas and claves. These rhythm sound sources R, to R are connected to a loudspeaker 18 through a common amplifier 17.

This invention is characterized in that temporary roll beat circuit or a fast repetitive trigger pulse introducing path 21 of the later described arrangement is provided between the input lines of the rhythm sound sources R, to R, and the desired ones of the output lines of the clock oscillator 11 and/or the binary counters 13, to 13,. Said temporary roll beat circuit 21 comprises a plurality of normally open switches SW,, to SW,,,, having, for example, the movable contacts connected to the input lines of the rhythm sound sources R, to R and a changeover or selector switch SW having a single movable contact connected to the common connection 20 of the fixed contacts of said switches SW,, to SW,, through a normally open switch SW provided,if required, and having three stationary contacts connected to the output line of the clock pulse oscillator (i.e., the input line of the first stage binary counter) as well as to the output lines of the first and second stage binary counters 13, and 13, The stationary contacts of the selector switch SW are selectively closed by said single movable contact. The normally closed switches SW, to SW, are gang operated with the normally open switch SW (this constitutes a temporary roll beat introducing switch).

There will now be described the manner in which a performance is made on the automatic rhythm instrument arranged as described above. First, with the nor- SW, to SW left intact, the rhythm selector switch 15 is operated to select a certain desired rhythm performance. Then the preselected one or more of the rhythm sound sources R to R, are actuated in accordance with the rhythm pattern pulse trains from the rhythm pattern pulse encoder 14, thereby producing an ordinary automatic rhythm performance.

Next, with the desired one or more of the normally open switches SW to SW of the aforesaid temporary roll beat circuit 21 closed and the single movable contact of the selector switch SW connected to the desired one of the three associated stationary contacts, the normally open switch SW is closed and the normally closed switches SW to SW are opened. Thus the preselected one or more of the rhythm sound sources R to R, are now actuated for performance directly by the repetitive output pulse train delivered from the clock pulse oscillator 11 or from the first or second binary counter l3 or 13 'according to the selection by the switch SW The rhythm performance obtained by the pulse train derived from the temporary roll beat circuit 21 is entirely different from the ordinary rhythm performance in accordance with the encoded rhythm pattern pulses from the encoder 14, and simulates such performance as the roll beating on the drum. Thus this invention realizes a novel type of automatic rhythm instrument attaining a rhythm performacne of far greater variety than has been possible in the past.

FIG. 2 is a schematic circuit diagram of an automatic rhythm instrument according to a modification of this invention. According to this modification, rhythm sounds from a plurality of rhythmsound sources R to R are delivered through their keyers 31 to 31, As illustrated in FIG. 2, the rhythm sound sources R to R are placed (connected) to other positions than those in the embodiment of FIG. 1, and instead the keyers 31 to 31, take the original positions of such sources in FIG. 1 and are connected to the output side of the rhythm selector switches 15. In FIG. 2 the normally closed switches SW to SW of FIG. 1 are eliminated. The elements of FIG. 2 which are the same as those of FIG. 1 are denoted by the same numerals and the description thereof is omitted. An automatic rhythm instrument arranged as shown in FIG. 2 realizes the performance effect as follows. Namely, where the preselected one or more of the keyers 31 through 31,, are

to be triggered by desired rhythm pattern pulse trains from the rhythm pattern pulse encoder 14 in accordance with the preset state of the rhythm selector switches 15, the fast repeating pulses are added through the aforesaid temporary roll beat circuit 21, whereby the fast beating performance by such rhythm sounds determined by the switches SW through SW is added to the normal automatic rhythm performance.

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic rhythm instrument comprising a clock pulse oscillator generating a repetitive pulse train; a multistage frequency dividing counter chain cascade arranged for connection to the clock pulse oscillator; a rhythm pattern pulse encoder connected to each stage output of the counter chain to produce a plurality of required rhythm pattern pulse trains; rhythm selector switches connected to said encoder; a plurality of rhythm sound sources connected to said rhythm selector switches and each triggered by the preselected one or more of the rhythm pattern pulse trains from the rhythm pattern pulse encoder; and a temporary roll beat circuit including further switches connected between said counter stages and the rhythm sound sources.

2. An automatic rhythm instrument claimed in claim 1 wherein said temporary roll beat circuit includes a plurality of second switches connected to the predetermined one or more of the rhythm sound sources, and a third selector switch having a movable contact connected to said second switches and having stationary contacts connected to two or more of the outputs from the clock pulse oscillator as well as from the respective counter stages.

3. An automatic rhythm instrument claimed in claim 2 wherein said temporary roll beat circuit further includes a fourth normally open switch disposed between said second switches and the third selector switch; and a plurality of fifth normally closed switches positioned between the rhythm pattern pulse encoder and the rhythm selector switches, said normally closed fifth switches being gang-actuated with said normally open fourth switch.

4. An automatic rhythm instrument claimed in claim 1 wherein said counter chain includes a plurality of cascade arranged binary circuits.

I I Ik 

1. An automatic rhythm instrument comprising a clock pulse oscillator generating a repetitive pulse train; a multistage frequency dividing counter chain cascade arranged for connection to the clock pulse oscillator; a rhythm pattern pulse encoder connected to each stage output of the counter chain to produce a plurality of required rhythm pattern pulse trains; rhythm selector switches connected to said encoder; a plurality of rhythm sound sources connected to said rhythm selector switches and each triggered by the preselected one or more of the rhythm pattern pulse trains from the rhythm pattern pulse encoder; and a temporary roll beat circuit including further switches connected between said counter stages and the rhythm sound sources.
 2. An automatic rhythm instrument claimed in claim 1 wherein said temporary roll beat circuit includes a plurality of second switches connected to the predetermined one or More of the rhythm sound sources, and a third selector switch having a movable contact connected to said second switches and having stationary contacts connected to two or more of the outputs from the clock pulse oscillator as well as from the respective counter stages.
 3. An automatic rhythm instrument claimed in claim 2 wherein said temporary roll beat circuit further includes a fourth normally open switch disposed between said second switches and the third selector switch; and a plurality of fifth normally closed switches positioned between the rhythm pattern pulse encoder and the rhythm selector switches, said normally closed fifth switches being gang-actuated with said normally open fourth switch.
 4. An automatic rhythm instrument claimed in claim 1 wherein said counter chain includes a plurality of cascade arranged binary circuits. 